The following is an extract from a Dec 98 newsletter. Jim Conklin and Top Sergeant Bob Weightman presented the NCO sword to the Thundering Third NCO of the year at 29 Palms. Jim was reflecting on how the ThunderMug came to be to the active duty 3/4 Marines.
I related a bit of Operation Prairie
, Hill 400, 484 and the rest, and recalled how Colonel Masterpool had sent the XO to Camp Carroll, stating that he wanted two steaks, grilling on charcoal for each Marine when he arrived. I don't know where the steaks came from, but that is exactly what happened, and afterwards the officers drank Masterpool's beloved French 75, from the only punch bowl the XO could find--and old toilet bowl. Hence the ThunderMug was born. It was amazing to see the tradition still remains, and the junior officer must maintain the mug and its elaborate carrying case.